The View from Where I Sit

Tag: democracy

  • People’s History Museum Manchester

    People’s History Museum Manchester

    The People’s History Museum is hosting an exhibition on disability rights, history and advocacy. The theme of the exhibition is Nothing About Us Without Us! The most accessible exhibition that has ever taken place at PHM, #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs showcases an extensive collection of protest material brought together for the first time. On display until Monday 16 October 2023.

    The Disabled Person’s Action Group attended the event in Manchester to support the national museum of democracy. The exhibition interests me because I have a BA degree in History and Politics. Journalism and Politics are also my passion. I learned a lot during this exhibition. There was a wealth of information shared about activism, intersectionality, disability pride and politics.

    Does the Vulcan salute have any meaning in the American sign language?

    The Vulcan salute is a hand gesture popularized by the Star Trek franchise, which is intended to represent the “Live Long and Prosper” phrase used by the characters from the planet Vulcan. The gesture is made by raising the hand, with the fingers separated into a “V” shape and the thumb extended. In American Sign Language (ASL), there is no specific sign for the Vulcan salute.

    However, the signs for “live” and “long” are often used together to convey the sentiment “Live long and prosper.” The sign for “live” is made by holding the hand in the shape of an L, and the sign for “long” is made by extending the fingers of one hand and moving it away from the body. It’s worth noting that the Vulcan salute is not a widely recognized symbol within the Deaf community, so it may not be widely understood as a reference to Star Trek or the phrase “Live Long and Prosper.”

    Secret Societies

    Did you know trade unions originated from secret societies?

    In the early 18th and 19th centuries, skilled working men formed trade societies to improve working conditions. Trade unions originated from these societies. These societies were illegal and had to meet in secret.

    This exhibition would not have been possible without the incredible efforts of the entire PHM team, the Community Curators (Alison Wilde, Anis Akhtar, Hannah Ross and Ruth Malkin), the steering group and all those who have contributed their stories and experiences. Check out the accompanying programme of accessible events and activities at the link in their bio.

    Explore #IdeasWorthFightingFor, past, present and future at People’s History Museum, the UK’s national museum of democracy. Open every day (except Tues) from 10am-5pm, FREE ENTRY. Thank you!

    Full statement: https://phm.org.uk/phm-story/statements-and-responses/.

    https://phm.org.uk/blog/

    https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Flinkin.bio%2Fphmmcr&e=AT26SOZArkaUdsyGjCSjU4X8LSLJl6hMgyS6jAMV84ajXNYJfZs8JVaP-mbQNiIBdT13lRyYgvDI7PbsDg027P3dO6oZVCQ-PbW16g

    https://www.tuc.org.uk/ProtectRightToStrike

    Michael Marek: Spock’s Character Arc (mimarek1.blogspot.com)

  • Democracy in the UK

    By: Daniella Jade Lowe

    How does democracy work in the UK?

    The United Kingdom (UK) is a democracy. In the UK there are too many people to all discuss all the decisions about how the country is run. Therefore, representatives are elected to make decisions.


    Representatives include Members of Parliament (MPs), Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) and local councillors.

    The UK Parliament meets in Westminster, London. It has three parts:


    The Crown- the Queen – Head of State, approves laws
    The House of Lords – Check proposed laws, make amendments
    The House of Commons – Debate proposals and make laws


    When did the UK become a democracy?


    Britain did not become a democracy until the Representation of the People Acts of 1918 and 1928 that gave the vote to all men and women over the age of 21.


    Is UK a representative democracy?

    Nearly all modern Western-style democracies are types of representative democracies; for example, the United Kingdom is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy, France is a unitary semi-presidential republic, and the United States is a federal presidential republic.

    How do democracies work?

    Democracy is government in which power and civic responsibility are exercised by all adult citizens, directly, or through their democratically elected representatives. Democracy rests upon the principles of majority rule and individual rights. … Fair, frequent, and well-managed elections are essential in a democracy.

    Democracy and Disability

    Only 6 British MPs identify as disabled. In a world where 1 in 7 people have a disability, this lack of representation is a serious threat to the inclusion of disabled people in UK policy matters.

    The UK Parliament has been a vocal promoter of disability inclusion and the leave no one behind agenda. There are several All Party Parliamentary Groups focused on disability and of the 0.7% of GNI ringfenced for international development, disability is a priority issue. https://www.add.org.uk/disability-and-democracy-uk

    The Purple Vote Campaign in Wales hope to do the same.

  • The Purple Vote Campaign

    By: Daniella Jade Lowe

    The Legacy International Group has launched The Purple Vote Campaign. This group was started by Sara Flay and Leighton Morris who lead a team of 15 people with various disabilities.

    The Purple Vote Campaign was launched in February. This campaign was created to raise awareness about what concerns disabled people and how they can represent their constituents and to ensure that the disabled community have a voice in the democratic process which includes encouraging disabled people to vote in public committees and groups as well as communicating with their local assembly members and MPs. Purple is the colour of disability.

    Elections are being held next year. This should see more disabled people in Parliament. This campaign endorses more inclusion in Politics. Welsh Government and Parliament want to champion disability inclusion. It’s about making politics accessible and influencing policy.

    They also encourage people to pursue Access to Work. Hopefully this will expand to local and central government positions.

    I like and approve of this initiative because it will cause society to reimagine law enforcement and legislation. This will also test how well MPs understand disability. For more information log on to http://www.legacyig.org.